Shadow
by Lily Orange
Summary: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?
1. One

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: I wrote this story for my friend's birthday so this was originally her and Edward together, that's why it's completely non-canon and is just a short story - though not one-shot - full of Edward and Bella romance. Plus Bella has a new friend completely of my creation... please enjoy and review!

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

I knew that something was wrong instantaneously; Edward was not there. Every time I leave my dad downstairs, Edward is sitting on the rocking chair in my room. I left him on the driveway, and he promised he'd be here within half an hour. I had been forty minutes, having cooked some of the fish that dad and Billy Black had caught for dinner, and sitting down to watch some TV with him. And Edward wasn't there. I knew his number was on my speed dial on my mobile, which he had given to me as a gift, from him and Alice, in fact he was the _only _speed dial on my mobile. I felt a little possessive calling him and going, "Hi Edward, it's Bella, why aren't you here?"

I suppose he had other commitments besides me – his family: Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett. But I couldn't help feeling worried. Edward was one of those people who could discern what would happen to him within the next twenty-four hours and tell you. That's not normal. He does it through mind reading, and Alice can see the future, although it is very subjective. I don't have any special gifts like mind reading or future seeing, although I am pretty adept at horse riding and am clever at school, especially in Science. Edward sits by me in biology, and he took me home when we did the blood testing. That was when I really didn't get him. One minute, his eyes were mahogany and seemed to despise me, find me repulsive; the next he was personally introducing himself to me, speaking my name with his velvet voice which was tainted with friendliness and not dislike, and looking at me with his beautiful golden eyes. His mood swings and his beauty confused me; but it was not until I knew the truth that I was fully acquainted with the true Edward Cullen which I know and love.

I was first familiar with Edward's true identity by one of my friends, Jacob Black, one of the Quileutes. When I first properly met him, I walked with him on the beach and he told me the Quileute legends of werewolves and a species of human called the Cold Ones – vampires. And he said that supposedly, the Cullens were the same group of 'Cold Ones' that had made the pact with the Quileute elders many years ago. And strangely, I wasn't scared. Edward was a vampire – it offered a proper explanation.

And then I found that Jacob was a werewolf. Not only that, but that he belonged to a pack. Even that didn't unnerve me. I'm kind of used to the bizarre, but if you had told me all of this when I was a resident with my mother Renee and Phil in Phoenix, I would have laughed in your face. But now, for me, Bella Swan, these things are a reality.

And now, I was scared. Petrified. I had never placed this kind of reliance on a person before, and although Edward left me a while ago, I eventually coped. But coping with it kind of had a lot to do with the fact that he came back.

I couldn't have gone through that again.

I sat on my bed, staring at the walls. On my notice board, stuck up with silver pins, were photos. Photos of me and Edward, me and Alice, the Cullens, me with the Cullens, Edward with me and my dad. Blissfully happy memories which I would not allow to stop. I knew that I might be waiting for a while, so I lay down and carried on reading _Wuthering Heights_, for the two billionth time.

I was suddenly aware of my phone vibrating on the shelf next to me, I picked it up, and flipped it open. It was Alice.

_

* * *

_

Please review!! Hope you liked it...

:) x Lily Orange x (:


	2. Two

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: Thank you to etherealloveliness for reviewing - and this chapter was originally about 700 words so I made it a little longer but I thought any longer would be too much - I hope you like it and I do kind of know what you mean by the chapters being a little short!!! Please read and review!

* * *

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

"Bella?" it wasn't Alice's voice, it was Edward's. The voice I wanted to hear every second of every day.

"Oh my goodness, Edward, _where are you_?" I babbled. I needed to know. A strange urgency for knowledge overtook me; my stomach felt tight and I breathed in, gasping for air, unaware that I had subconsciously been holding my breath whilst waiting for his voice.

His voice, although with its usual velvetiness which had always mesmerized me, seemed struck down with horror. "Look out your window."

"What?" I replied. It was not like Edward to give me simple commands – he explained, persuaded and asked politely. He had, in the years he had spent being seventeen, learned how to do things, and that was one of them. He normally spoke tenderly, quietly, softly, enchantingly – not like this.

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.

"Look out your window, be discrete about it," he said, reverting slightly back to his usual gentle tone of voice. "Make it look like you are drawing your curtains. Look at the bushes opposite the house."

Thinking Edward was concealing himself there, I walked towards the window, holding my phone to my chest. As I pulled the curtains, I scanned the bushes opposite my house. At first, I could see nothing, the darkness being impenetrable. And then I saw a glimmer of colour in the shadows as my eyes focussed, unfamiliar colour. It danced before me, crimson and shining in the stray bits of moonlight that had managed to infiltrate the dense trees that surrounded our house in Forks. It was a fiery red colour, harrowingly resembling human hair. As I finished drawing the curtains, I realised, with undeniable horror, who had fiery red hair. And who might be hiding in the shadows, the flames dancing around their head wickedly.

"Edward – are you still there?" I panicked.

"Yes." He said this calmingly, soothingly, almost as if he had taken on Emmett's role.

"It's Victoria!" I choked out, my breathing quickening and my heart beating faster than it ever had before. The woman who wanted me dead was outside of my window. My dad, unconsciously oblivious, was sat downstairs – minutes away from being at the mercy of the homicidal vampire who wanted nothing more than for me to be dead and lying in a coffin six feet under.

"I know. You need to get out of the house. Jasper and Emmett have parked the car on the other side of the woods. Alice is waiting in your conservatory for you. Make your excuses, Bella, I love you."

I didn't like the tone with which he said he loved me. He did it often, poetically, incorporating quotations from books that I had read, poets I had studied, playwrights if he really wished. I adored listening to him comparing me to a summer's day, or saying he had never seen true beauty till this night. He didn't just come straight out with it. It scared me to no end.

"I cannot just leave! What about my dad? We have school as well, Edward, where am I going?" I questioned him incessantly, a million thoughts concurrently invading my already dizzy mind.

I did not want to be bitten by a dangerous, vicious, famished Victoria and die. James and Laurent were gone, and she blamed it on me. Me, a mere mortal! It wasn't my fault they were dead. If they hadn't tried to kill me then they wouldn't be dead.

"I have to go. I shall see you soon. Love you." There he went again, expressing himself directly.

"Love you too, Edward, but –" it was too late. The line was dead. Suddenly, I sprang into action. I opened my black rucksack, tipped out the school books, and shoved in some clothes, my phone, my purse, and reluctantly, my book. I noticed a chocolate bar on my bedside table, obviously left there by my dad. I shoved that in too. Incurable chocolate addiction – and no vampire, albeit a shockingly murderous one, was coming in between me and my chocolate.

Then I realised I was dressed in my pyjamas. Speedily, I dressed in my jeans, favourite band t-shirt and black cardigan, and shoved my feet into my pink and black Converse. I was ready. I ran down the stairs, and muttered a few words about staying at Alice's, and went into the conservatory. Alice was there, examining a framed photo of my dad and me when I was nine years old. She was abruptly aware of my presence, and stood up.

"Bella!" she exclaimed. She hugged me tightly.

"Alice, what's wrong? Victoria is out there – where am I going?" I cried – needing, above all, to know the answers.

"Edward is waiting in the forest for us, in the meadow. I'm going to take you there," she began slowly, "and then Edward will take you to Jazz and Emmett in the car. Then we'll leave," she concluded. They had obviously devised a very systematic plan in a very short amount of time. I wouldn't expect anything less. The Cullens were logical thinkers, with more common sense than me and my family put together. Edward said it was because of years of practice – but I still marvelled, even though sometimes in horror, at how they knew what to do in every situation.

We opened the back door, and went out into the backyard. I closed it softly behind me; I could see my dad, still charmingly and childishly oblivious to the goings on, watching the TV. It was hard to believe that he knew nothing about all of this; about Edward and the Cullens, Jacob and the werewolves. They were all such a big part of my life it was hard to keep up the barriers in between what I knew and what he could know. In some respects, I was fed up of the supernatural. But when I was with Edward I got such an adrenaline rush I forgot all about it.

"Here we go – take my jacket. It'll make your scent slightly less detectable," Alice told me, full of authority, holding out a khaki trench coat, which I hurriedly threw round my shoulders. She smiled at me encouragingly, squeezed my hand – and off we went.

_

* * *

_

Please review!

:) x Lily Orange x (:


	3. Three

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: So we left off with Alice coming to collect Bella from her house as Victoria is skulking about the trees homicidally - and now, within this chapter, we have the arrival of the most beautiful vampire in the world ;) Edward Cullen!! Thank you to for adding this story as a favourite, and for reviewing, and for adding it to story alert! Enjoy the chapter, and please review!

* * *

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

Unfortunately, vampires don't go for human transport when they're in a hurry. They run, exceedingly fast, so fast that they are a blur moving swiftly, soundlessly through the trees. I hated vampire transport, those sort of speeds would break the sound barrier and were faster than a rollercoaster; and I didn't like going on rollercoasters that much – Phil and my mom had tried to take me to a theme park just before I left Phoenix, but I had categorically refused to get on any of the rides that people screamed on, as I hated them. I think they considered it a slightly wasted journey as we went home after riding around on this little kids' fairytale ride about ten times and had eaten hot dogs and popcorn, but we stopped off at a bookshop on the way back, upon my insistence, which was where I picked up _Wuthering Heights_.

Edward Cullen was the fastest out of the coven, but Alice Cullen was quite speedy herself. Nimbly, she pulled me threw the thickets of trees, faster and faster, and with my eyes open, I could feel a distinct wave of nausea passing through me. Edward always advised me to close my chocolate brown eyes – and that I did, rather enthusiastically. Normally Edward warned me before setting off, but Alice had neglected to do so thus we had already sped through half the forest before I remembered to shut my eyes. I squeezed them tightly shut; ignorant of the dense trees we were passing through at the speed of light, just hoping soon that I would be with Edward, in our meadow.

I was aware of us slowing down, but did not dare open my eyes again until Alice gave me some kind of indication that we had stopped. I did not want to puke over Edward when I saw him. We were gradually slowing down, and then we stopped.

My eyes snapped open. We were at the meadow.

Alice was guiding me over to a rock, upon which someone was sitting.

Edward ... my Edward.

"Thank you," Edward said to her gratefully. I nodded in agreement, keeping my mouth tightly shut whilst I rapaciously lost my sickly feeling in order to prevent any sudden projectile vomiting. She smiled, and ran off, looking like a weightless pixie, carried by the air. My nausea left and I turned to smile weakly at him.

He merely kissed me.

Subconsciously, as though it was natural, the way we were supposed to be, we lay down in the meadow, gazing up at the stars, whilst stealing glance of each other.

"Edward, we must go, isn't Victoria after me or something?" I said, after hearing the wind blow through the trees portentously.

Suddenly, he snapped out of the daze, and his eyes changed colour. "Yes, that foul vampire isn't getting anywhere near you." He launched himself upwards, like a lion ready to gluttonously spring onto its prey.

I had to endure the horrendous vampire transport again. It seemed to last longer, though, but as my eyes were shut, I did not get any motion sickness.

We were by a car. I got in, completely in a daze, not concentrating. Jasper, Emmett and Alice were there, and Edward climbed in beside me. I noticed the absence of Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie – I wondered anxiously whereabouts they were, but then I remembered the bloodthirsty vampire on my tail. Somehow, in Edward's utterly enthralling presence, I managed to forget.

I was still wearing Alice's trench coat, which fitted me nicely and protected me against the cold air which was so characteristic of Forks. I liked it, it was warm.

"Bella – we're taking you to our place," Jasper told me, concentrating on the road, whilst driving like a maniac at about ninety when it was supposed to be thirty. I managed to stammer the word 'but', which did not have much effect. Edward put his arm around me and spoke to me relaxingly.

"You'll be fine ... Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie are ready for you. We'll get you away from that Victoria, we'll destroy her," he snarled viciously. Emmett gave him a warning look, and Edward stopped.

I regained all intelligence and began to talk. "What if she targets my dad? She'll rip him to bloody pieces!" I yelled.

"Bella, Jasper and I will watch your dad's house. Renee will be fine with Phil, as far as we know Victoria is acting alone. As Laurent and James are dead, she is just some revenge seeking vampire who has a considerably-sized problem with you. Which is not your fault," Alice told me, remembering my exasperating tendency to blame myself.

"We're nearly there," Emmett said. We turned into the familiar clearing where the Cullen's amazing mansion-sized house was. They bundled me inside unobtrusively, locking the door behind us. Esme was there, hugging me, with a distinct tear in her gold eyes.

"Have you eaten?" Edward asked me. I was suddenly aware of a ravenous feeling, yet I shook my head. Promptly, my stomach rumbled loudly, I clutched it to muffle the sound, but it had not escaped the Cullens. Edward looked vaguely amused, as did Emmett, Carlisle and Esme.

"Edward, cook her something," Rosalie ordered. Not really a great friend of mine, but she was slightly sympathetic; although she was definitely against me being a vampire. She ran up the stairs, Emmett close on her tail, without looking back at us.

That's when I found myself sitting alone in the kitchen with Edward, who was cooking me some kind of Italian dish that smelled mouth watering. He turned to look at me – a frequent habit of his – and then clocked the backpack on the table next to me. He smiled crookedly – that smile that sent my heart crazy. "Bella – what have you bought with you?"

"Clothes?" I said, momentarily hoping he would not look inside to see the book and chocolate also in there. Unfortunately, he looked inside the front pocket, as however much I tried, the book-sized lump in there could not be disguised.

"_Wuthering Heights_? And a chocolate bar?" he laughed. "You make me laugh, Bella – in the face of danger, and you pack an over-read book which you practically know off by heart, and a chocolate bar!" He chortled again. "What are you going to do, batter her to death with a paperback classic?"

I smiled at him.

He kissed me.

"Bella, I thought maybe you–" Alice walked in, holding a pile of clothes. "Oh – sorry..."

We pulled apart. I thanked her. Then Edward once again guffawed. "Alice – you can see the future! Didn't you see that?"

If Alice was human, at that moment she would have blushed. However, she unremittingly remained composed and winked at me audaciously. This in turn made me redden, which always fascinated the Cullens. Nevertheless, she left the pile of clothes on the table top and left.

"Now – where were we?" Edward smiled, and he kissed me once more.

* * *

_I hope you liked that - please review for the next chapter, during which Bella has a dream and her new friend is properly introduced... plus Victoria is on the move..._

:) x Lily Orange x (:

_PS. On my profile I've now included summaries and teasers of all of my stories plus forthcoming stories and ideas, so please check it out! Thanks for reading!_


	4. Four

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: I'm sorry about the late update - this weekend has been busy :) Please review this chapter!!!

* * *

_**CHAPTER FOUR**_

"Bella, shouldn't you be getting some sleep?" Esme asked kindly. I glanced up at the ornate silver clock on the Cullens' mantelpiece. Half twelve. My dad would be asleep now, all comfortable, thinking that I was okay, that nothing major had happened.

How upsettingly wrong he would be.

"No, I'm fine," I said, stifling a yawn. Edward tightened his grip around me. I was sitting on the sofa next to him, curled up with his arm around me. "What are we going to do tomorrow? I can't just hide out here, Victoria will know where I am!" I persisted, not wanting to sleep until I got some answers.

"We'll think of something, Bella. Meanwhile, you need sleep. Edward, take Bella upstairs," Carlisle said. Everybody watched me and Edward move up the stairs with alert eyes. It was inevitable - it was the only point of interest at that moment. Oh, apart from the fact that Victoria seemed to want to kill me viciously.

"Where am I going to sleep?" I asked him drowsily, looking deep into his beautiful, captivating eyes.

"My room," he said, not taking his eyes off me. He held me close, carrying me effortlessly as if I weighed as light as a feather and was as fragile as a china ornament.

"But... will you stay? I don't want Victoria to..." I dragged off, silenced by his handsome face.

"I will stay for you Bella, I love you," he reminded me, leading me into his room. "I don't need to compare you to a summer's day to let you know that - you are my reason for living. If that is what I am." I smiled weakly, and slowly walked through the door.

I'd been in here before. It looked the same, except there was a huge bed in the centre of the room, ready for me. "Sleep." He sat in a comfy looking armchair in the corner of his room by the big windows. I lay down on the bed - it was the comfiest thing I had ever been on, and the moment my head touched the pillow, I was gone.

While I was asleep, I dreamt.

In my dream, it was dark, there was a road bordered by trees ... and a car, a strangely familiar purple car, was driving down the road ... a familiar boy of my age was sitting in it - a boy I'd seen before and could recognize without placing his name ... no-one else seemed to be there ... he was driving calmly, singing along to the CD playing on his car stereo, and then suddenly, out of nowhere ... CRASSSH! I didn't wake up, but the boy had swerved to miss someone who had been standing suicidally in the middle of road and had driven into a tree. He got out the car, fine, but shaken, and saw no-one was there. He was perplexed - that bizarre woman had gone ... but suddenly, he was aware of a presence behind him ... he span round ... fire engulfed his face while his neck was bitten into ...

"Oh my god!" I sat up, and screamed hysterically. Edward sprang into action, he was instantaneously sat next to me on the bed, soothing me, consoling me.

"What is it?"

"Victoria's just bitten this boy ... he crashed his car – I feel like I know him!" I cried, tears pouring down my face.

"It was just a dream," he told me, hugging me softly. I could smell his delicious smell, totally unique, totally Edward.

"But she didn't kill him ... he was writhing on the floor in agony, while she laughed! I know him Edward!"

"But Bella –"

"It was not a dream! It was real! Like I said, I know him! Please could you check?" I begged. He nodded, and holding me like I was a limp rag doll, carried me downstairs.

Once he recalled the events of my dream, Emmett and Jasper were out. I was aware of my backpack on the floor next to the sofa I was once again curled up on, in Edward's arms. A fait sound emitted from it momentarily.

"Edward, I think my phone just vibrated," I whispered.

Edward opened my bag, and produced my phone. I saw on the clock on screen that it was now nine in the morning. I opened the text message to see it was from Lizzie, my friend at Forks High School. She texted me regularly.

_Hi B, have u seen Jonas? He hasn't picked me up yet – he is 15mins l8 & I know he lives near u. Luv L xxx_

Cogs were whirring in my brain. Jonas Redman was Lizzie's boyfriend. He was her life, and now he was missing?

"Edward, what car does Jonas drive?" I asked him, concerned. Edward got on seemingly well with Lizzie, even if both Lizzie and Jonas were unacquainted with Edward's vampire identity. They sat with us every day at lunch, and Lizzie and Jonas gazed into each other's eyes like no-one else existed. It was sweet. But I had my Edward – and no-one could beat him.

"Beaten up old Jag, isn't it?" he replied vaguely.

"What colour Jag, Edward?"

"Purple, I think," he answered, as if something else was in my mind.

"Oh no!" I yelled, springing up. An image of Jonas' face materialized in my mind - he was the boy...

Edward looked at me quizzically, for the umpteenth time this morning. "The car and the boy in my dream ... the car was an old purple Jag, I can be sure of it now! And the boy – the familiar boy – Jonas Redman! Poor Lizzie – poor Jonas!"

I was aware of two people coming into the room. Emmett and Jasper! They had grave looks on their faces. "What's the matter?"

"There was a crashed car, purple, in the exact place you described. There was a distinct amount of blood on the floor, and Jasp could smell new vampire," Emmett said.

"A newborn?" Edward clarified.

"We know him," I said tearfully.

"Jonas Redman," Edward told them.

"Jonas Redman? Is he the tall one with the brown floppy hair?" Jasper asked.

"Your friend – is it Lizzie? Her boyfriend? The one who sits with you at lunch?" Emmett inquired

I nodded, sobbing soundlessly into Edward's shoulder.

"We need to find him, before he becomes a malicious newborn. He may have finished transforming, but we need to find him. Bella – it isn't safe for you with Victoria on the loose," Alice said.

I shook my head. "I'm coming with you to find him. I'll stop in the car with Edward if I have to!" I cried. Edward put his arm around me. They agreed.

_

* * *

_

They are going into the twilight zone... please review!

:) x Lily Orange x (:


	5. Five

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: Sorry about the late update, I've been caught up with my Harry Potter fanfictions! Please check them out, I have a new one up, **You Leave Me Breathless**, about Sirius Black and an OC of mine. Thanks for reading!

* * *

_**CHAPTER FIVE**_

The forest looked especially dark today, and extremely menacing, even more so than usual. Forks wasn't exactly a welcoming place, with the frequent rainstorms and lack of sunshine, plus the ominous forest that bordered most of the roads. I took it as a sign that danger was lurking about - and that meant our flame-haired fiend Victoria.

Jasper parked the car on the edge of the road, apparently a ten minute walk from the site of collision. The air was damp, an unsurprising mode of weather for Forks, where it rained virtually every day of the year. I felt uncomfortable sat in the car next to Edward. Not that I was there, and not the stony expression on Edward's beautiful face, but it was the clothes I was wearing. Alice, who, if not a vampire, could work at Vogue styling the models there expertly, had deemed the top I had stuffed into my rucksack unacceptable, and had forced me to wear something out of the huge pile she had lent me. Being agitated and upset had rendered me incapable to choose a suitable outfit, so Alice had picked me out a pale blue blouse, a grey cardigan and dark inky blue jeans, but I forced her to let me wear my Converse. She had wanted me to wear these silver satin ballet style pumps, but there was no way she was getting away with putting me firstly in the clothes and then secondly in fancy shoes. I went to my prom in my Converse, for heaven's sake. She should have known by now that I was particularly attached to them.

And now I was repositioning the blouse, much to Edward's apparent amusement. "You look beautiful," he whispered in my ear, a distinct twinkle in his golden eyes. It lit up his stony face like a halo of light - it was one of those times when I truly realised how lucky I was to have such a boy as mine, even though there was a sort of risk of death every time I was with him.

I smiled meekly.

The car stopped, and we all got out. Jasper, Emmett, Alice and Rosalie raced ahead, and Edward and I lagged behind, him walking at normal speed, rather than running at a zillion miles an hour. "Do you reckon we could save Jonas?" I asked him, slightly naively.

"Save him, Bella? He's already been transformed into a vampire!" Edward frowned.

"I know, but turn him into a good vampire – like you and your family?" I persisted relentlessly. I liked Jonas, and couldn't visualize him as a murderous wretch, like Victoria or James. It just wasn't humanly possible.

Though, I suppose, when you're not human, anything can be possible.

"Probably, but he's most certainly rampaging somewhere at the moment," Edward said.

"If you find him, will you try? Not just for his sake, but for Lizzie's. He'll devour her if he goes back to school – quite literally!" I panicked.

"Okay. But it's not for Lizzie. It's for you," he smiled crookedly.

"Edward, Bella, the car's been moved!" Jasper shouted. I could see clearly the tyre marks on the floor, though. The tree looked a little battered to say the least, and there were patches of dried scarlet liquid on the ground – Jonas' blood. I clapped a hand to my mouth - this got worse by the second. Edward hugged me close, as if cocooning me away from the rest of the world.

Suddenly, we were aware of another presence. Somebody walked out of the shadows – but it wasn't Victoria, or Jonas.

It was Jacob.

"Oh look what the dog just dragged in," Rosalie said maliciously.

Jacob ignored her taunts, neglecting his usual response in making a blonde joke. Instead, he walked directly over to me and Edward. "I can smell vampire really bad in La Push. And it's not the smell of you guys." I would have found this kind of rude, but Edward seemed to find it informative. Rosalie merely scowled and stared at Jacob with dark eyes.

"Victoria's back!" I blurted out. Edward looked at me menacingly. I was frightened. He softened his features, and held me closer.

"As Bella just said, Victoria's back, and she's bitten someone. There is a newborn in the area; I don't know what will happen. We have to find him before he makes any damage," Edward told him coolly.

Jacob turned to me. "Who is it, Bells?" Edward emitted a low growl at Jacob's calm use of a different nickname than the one they were all accustomed to.

"Jonas Redman," I said sadly.

"And you know him because?"

"My friend Lizzie's boyfriend. She's upset, and if we don't find him soon, she'll go looking herself. And then she'll be killed."

"Does she know about the bloodsuckers?"

I shook my head.

"I think I'm prepared to help you find this _Jonas_, the newborn. I'm sure Quil and Embry, Sam and the guys will be too," Jacob said. "We'll find him quicker that way."

Rosalie looked as if she had something to say – sorry, scream – at Jacob, probably to tell him what he could do with his help, but Emmett put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She softened immediately.

"Okay, dog," Jasper said, though not meanly, more like through force of habit. "We'll meet in two hours, our place. Scour the area for them. If you see either Jonas or Victoria, tail them. Edward will know."

Jacob bounded off into the woods, turning into a werewolf, howling.

_

* * *

_

_Please review, I've only got 2 so far! I'd love to get to 5 at least, pretty please? Thanks for reading,_

:) x Lily Orange x (:


	6. Six

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: Sorry about the short length of this chapter, I promise the next few will be longer! Thank you to tannyapple, sarlovesoccer and Reader for reviewing and thank you to Jojia03 for adding my story to their favourites. Thanks for reading, hope you have a brill holiday!

* * *

_**CHAPTER SIX**_

I was not allowed to help search for Jonas and Victoria, which I wasn't happy about. I knew I was human, and therefore virtually useless in combat against a vicious newborn and a vampire which had some kind of grudge (which was slightly more than a grudge, if you ask me); but I wanted to be active. Instead, I was confined to the car, with Alice. It felt claustrophobic when there was no-one else there and we didn't know what was going on - plus Alice wouldn't stop asking me questions, constantly. When I finally paused to take a breath between providing her interesting and long-enough answers, I heard my phone beep. A text message. I noticed on my phone time it was ten thirty, exactly an hour into the search. They seemed to have been gone a lot longer than just an hour, which shocked me ever so slightly. I also noticed that it was from Lizzie. I gulped, and opened it.

_Bella, am very worried. Not only where Jonas is, but where r u? Please text me bk. I'm gonna go looking 4 Jonas at lunch. He's probably got lost in the woods or something. Tb, luv L x_

"She's going to go and look for him, Alice," I said shakily. I couldn't let Lizzie, poor, vulnerable Lizzie who knew nothing of the vampires who were currently rampaging the forest and would be able to kill her within nanoseconds. At least I knew what to expect and was protected to some extent, but she was walking in with her guard down, unconsciously ignorant of what was going on.

Alice got up, though she was still bent down slightly. She moved as swiftly as light to come and sit next to me in the back. "Lizzie, right?" she said.

I nodded, a lump was rapaciously forming in my throat.

"God – why do humans just have to make matters so bloody complicated?" the voice was familiar, but it wasn't Alice. Oh ... my ... god ... I could see someone standing outside the window ... about to open the door ... please don't be ...

"Shocked you there, didn't I?" Quil said, grinning wickedly at me through the car window

Alice was never derogatory about werewolves, but this time her words were laced with malice after seeing my face when I heard that voice. "You, dog, just nearly made my friend Bella have a HEART ATTACK!" she screeched. My pulse rate was finally returning to normal when he found the words to reply.

"Oops, sorry. Jacob sent me with news of the search. They think they've found a cave in the woods, near the La Push boundary. It might be Victoria's hideout. Have you got anything for them?" Quil said, completely ignoring Alice, who was scowling at him, her eyes now black with anger.

"Yeah, my friend Lizzie, Jonas' girlfriend, is going to look for him. If Victoria's in the cave, then she's safe. If not – she's practically dead," I said darkly.

"Or vampirized," Quil laughed.

"This is not a laughing matter!" Alice shouted.

I cut across. "How is Edward? And Jacob, obviously?"

"The leech is fine. So is Jake. They're getting along just swimmingly!" Quil said, waving his hands histrionically, as if to demonstrate that they were at least being civil to each other but the tension was still there.

"Really?" I said, raising my eyebrows incredulously.

"Huh, no. In fact, Edward's the one he's probably getting on with best. That blonde one is so totally –" Quil began.

"My sister," Alice said.

"Yeah, right. Oh, and Edward asked if Alice wanted to swap looking after Bella," Quil continued, unabashed. Alice nodded. Quil shut the car door, and bounded off. Alice frowned, watching him disappear through the trees.

"Next time, we put the locks on!" she said. I couldn't help smiling, which made her smile too.

In no time at all, Edward was there with me. Alice left. Edward sat with his arm around me in the back, holding me close.

I never wanted the moment to end.

_

* * *

_

Hope you liked that, please review, thanks for reading!

:) x Lily Orange x (:


	7. Seven

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: Merry Christmas! I hope you had a great day yesterday! Thanks to sarlovesoccer for the review :)

* * *

_**CHAPTER SEVEN**_

_**LIZZIE**_

As soon as the morning recreation bell sounded at half past ten, I was out of the classroom in a flash, before my English Lit teacher had even said to go – I simply grabbed my copies of _Pride and Prejudice_ and _Jane Eyre_ and took the tingling bell as my cue to go and search for my boyfriend who was missing. Angela, Jess, Mike and the others would be waiting for me outside – Forks was cloudy, but surprisingly, not raining; any time when there wasn't enough water to fill a reservoir in three seconds was good enough for us to go outside.

But I had bigger things to worry about. I had to go and look for Jonas. Lessons didn't start for another, like, thirty minutes. Then I had French class, which he normally neighboured me during and we practised our speaking together.. Hopefully I would have found him by them. I quickly flipped open my phone as I walked to my car – a little green Mini. Old, of course, it used to be my mom's, but I preferred to call it 'vintage' whenever I was questioned about it's age.

I texted Bella, my best friend, to tell her I was going looking. God knows where she was too. Probably ill or something. And I had noticed that Edward, her boyfriend, wasn't in either. Neither were his family. I only really knew Edward, and maybe Alice a little, but I was quite surprised how readily Edward accepted me and Jonas. Jess had told me that he was renowned for being infamously hostile and unwelcoming, but that wasn't the case. I was friends with Bella before she even began to liaise with Edward, so I kind of had one up on him. Edward had had a hand in setting me up with Jonas, too; he had, according to Bella, convinced Jonas that I liked him back.

Jonas. My handsome young man. To be fair, Jonas and Edward talked quite a lot, and me and Bella. But at lunch, although we sat next to each other, me next to Bella, her opposite her Edward, and me opposite my Jonas, we didn't do much talking. Just gazing...

Anyway, the purpose of this unauthorised excursion was NOT to daydream about my lovely boyfriend, but to locate him. I thought I'd drive to his house first. Knowing him, he was probably still asleep.

As I drove out of the school driveway, nobody noticed me leave. I was pretty lucky; but I think if anybody had, they wouldn't have suspected thing. Lizzie, best friend of Bella Swan and friend of Angela, Mike, Jess and Eric was the ultimate good girl who would never do anything wrong.

My bag, a huge turquoise leather handbag, with a beautiful beaded charm attached to the handle, was slung in the back. A present from Jonas for my last birthday. I drove swiftly to Jonas' house. On the way, I was driving through one of the roads that cuts through the forest, and I saw a police tow truck with a car on the back. Upon close study, I recognised it;

Jonas' purple Jag!

Hurriedly, I stopped my car, got out and attracted the attention of the tow truck. It stopped, and Chief Swan, Bella's dad, got out. He raised an eyebrow quizzically at my presence.

"Lizzie, aren't you supposed to be in school?" he asked me sternly.

"Yeah, whatever, where did you find that car?" I questioned him.

"Just over the other side of those trees, on the road. Pretty mashed up. A bit of blood round it, but no-one in it," he told me. I clapped a sweaty, anxious hand to my mouth, so choked up with emotion that I couldn't cry.

"Hang on, Lizzie, what's the matter?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine," I replied. "Just – just out for a recreational walk. It's morning break."

"Oh, okay," he said. "I guess I'll see you sometime soon then."

I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. See you soon!" I replied, a little too brightly. Oh well. I left Chief Swan to drive off with Jonas' Jag, and I locked my Mini, grabbed my bag, into which I stuffed my keys, zipped it up, and slung it over my shoulder. I began towards the trees, the dense, dark, uninviting trees.

After ten minutes' walking, I figured that I wasn't really dressed for hiking. Which is what a walk is through the woods in Forks, there's no casual way about it, you have to make your own way through the trees as there was a distinct absence of a path to follow. I was wearing patent red Mary Jane shoes, black skinny jeans, a cream long-sleeved jumper and a pile of red and gold bangles jingling on my wrist. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to let my supremely good outfit stop me from finding my dear Jonas, my handsome young man.

After walking for another twenty minutes (well surpassing the length of morning break) I knew I was lost. Not merely disorientated, but lost. Normally, in Forks and La Push, you don't go walking unless you are accompanied with a detailed map and compass, as well as a credited means of communication, or a guide. My phone was almost dead, the battery drained searching for a signal, and unfortunately, I had left my map and compass (ha!) at home. I stopped in a clearing. It looked as if it was about to rain. Rain! Just what I bloody well needed, as it was never just a light shower in Forks. Then my new Mary Janes would get ruined – but Jonas was worth it.

I was just about to break down in tears when I sensed another presence. "Hello?" I called out uncertainly. "Jonas?"

"Are you lost, dear?" I heard the voice – it wasn't Jonas' voice, but a very feminine, yet coarse, voice.

"Um, yeah," I said, craning my neck to see who it was. Literally in a flash, a woman was stood in front of me. She was dressed head to toe in black, her skin as pale as snow, her lips the colour of blood, and her hair – her unusual, long hair – was so red it was like fire surrounding her head.

_

* * *

_

Did you like that? Please leave a review :) Have a great rest of the holiday

:) x Lily Orange x (:


	8. Eight

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: Thanks to sarlovesoccer for reviewing! I hope you had a great Christmas and will have a happy new year :) enjoy the chapter, PLEASE review!

* * *

_**CHAPTER EIGHT**_

"Do not worry about Lizzie or Jonas," Edward said, his velvet voice smooth in my wanting ear that, more than anything, desired words of comfort and reassurance, to cleanse my anxious soul. "The others have Victoria's lair covered."

I was happy, at the moment. I didn't know whether or not it would last long, but being in love with a vampire has taught me to live in the moment and to content myself with what I had. Edward's soothing voice had flushed all my worries away, which made me feel physically relaxed. I was sleepy, my lost sleep from my nightmare catching up with me. I gradually fell asleep, feeling calm, peaceful and serene.

*

"MY GOD!" Edward yelled, his voice uncharacteristically vociferous. I looked up abruptly, drowsy after my little slumber. He was roaring into a phone, holding me so tightly it was untrue. I felt like the air was being slowly squeezed out of me as he concluded his loud conversation with, "We're coming!"

He slammed his mobile shut forcefully, and pulled me out of the car as quickly as possible. "But, Edward – what is the problem?" I questioned him fretfully, my previous fears overtaking me again.

"Victoria has both Jonas and Lizzie. Alice just heard a scream, after Victoria went into the lair with her. They think she may be transforming too. Do you want to go – you should stay here really..." he told me, but it was not an order. He was providing me with a choice.

I glanced up at his beautiful face, drinking in his special aroma...

"I want to go." I said it so firmly, he decided not to contradict and pulled me onto his back so that we could travel, in the vampire fashion, to where Victoria's lair was.

In no time at all, we were crouching below a large grey rock, looking directly at a cave with a low mouth, but probably cavernous inside. Enough for Victoria to brood and to do her evil work. We must have been crouching there for ten minutes at least; my leg was beginning to get pins and needles in it – when Edward beckoned me to follow him. Although I knew that Victoria wanted more than anything to have me dead, I courageously followed. I was not being naive; like I said, I liked to live in the moment. If I was with Edward, I would be safe and there would be no need to worry myself.

We were going into the cave ... Edward had never let me get this involved before. He had tried to get me away from Victoria so cautiously – and now he was pulling me into her clutches, like a lamb for a lion! She would either kill me or transform me, or "vampirize" me as Quil so eloquently put it. Hang on – what had Alice seen? If she had seen me being turned into a vampire – wouldn't Edward normally have tried to stop her?

Was this my Edward at all? Now my worries were flooding back, I was on the brink of tears and my hands were shaking in trepidation.

"Edward?" I asked meekly.

He turned around to look at me. He wasn't himself. His eyes – they were no longer gold.

They were red; a blood coloured scarlet that managed simultaneously to be both cold and fiery.

"Edward?" he repeated as if he had no acquaintance with this name. He was leading me into the cave. I felt compelled to follow, even though I knew that I could potentially be pulling myself into a dangerous situation. Suddenly, I was aware of shouts behind me – people running – a rock over the entrance of the cave falling faster than Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice could get to me.

He threw his head back. A strange thing happened – his blissfully gorgeous hair began to grow rapidly, and changed into a great ball of fire. It was the most harrowing and repulsive sight I had ever seen – it was something out of a Harry Potter book, not something out of Forks. Victoria had taken on Edward's body from the outside in order to lure me in so that she could brutally murder me. I felt my gasps come rapidly, dragging air into my body quickly, but not calming me at all. I began to feel limp, but I shrieked, and looked away, not wanting the sight of her in front of me acquainted with my eyes any longer.

As my eyes met the corner of the cave, I saw the real Edward, bound and gagged, more beautiful than ever, stuffed into the corner. His eyes were constantly on me.

Tears began to mercilessly fall down my pale face, leaving tiny tracks across my skin. A river began to flow, but the sobbing sounds were absent.

"Victoria, what have you done?" I asked, frightened.

"Me? Oh, well, your stupid little human friends are ravenous newborns – and you are about to join them, Bella," she cackled. "They will do the job for me, excellently, I believe."

"You're going to transform me?" I caterwauled, backing up against the damp stone behind me as she stepped closer and closer to me, the high heels she wore clicking on the ground sinisterly with every single step she took.

"Well, no, not quite. I'm going to send YOU to the grave. Seeing as your little boyfriend killed my James – and your friend the dog killed my friend Laurent! I have every reason to want you to be dead! Do you think they would have done these things without you being involved in their lives?" she laughed insanely. "You can't solve or rectify a problem by killing the middle man. You have to kill the cause, and guess what, Bella? The cause is you. You are the cause of the death and destruction that went on with James and Laurent. You have Edward hear, madly in love with you, who killed my James when he bit you. All he wanted was a snack on your blood... and then your werewolf friend, who is also haplessly in love with you–"

"Jake is not in love with me!" I protested.

"You just tell yourself that, Bella," Victoria laughed hollowly, "and I'll take away your thoughts, fears and pains so that you don't have to think about it anymore."

I was at loss of what to do. I wanted to be a vampire, yes, but I didn't want to die. God, I was only eighteen! And if I was to be a vampire, I wanted Edward to do it.

As she advanced towards me, I heard some ripping sounds from behind me. It couldn't be Edward, he was incapable this time. He was tied up – the others were blocked out of the cave. I had no lifelines now. As I saw her bear her gleaming white fangs, I felt dizzy, and fell to the floor, amid a sound of unstoppable screaming...

_

* * *

_

Oooh... the next chapter is the last in the story, please leave a review and I will update as soon as possible! Have a happy new year,

:) x Lily Orange x (:


	9. Nine

**Shadow**

_By Lily Orange_

_Summary_: A shadow of fire walks amongst the trees - the same shadow which blights the forest. Can Edward, Bella and the Cullens figure out what's going on... before it's too late?

_Disclaimer_: I am definitely not Stephenie Meyer and admire her work a lot.

_A/N_: This is the final chapter of this story - thanks to everybody who reviewed, added it to their alerts and to their favourites. I hope you like the ending and please review your hearts out as I've had hardly any for the whole story! Thanks to sarlovesoccer for the review :)

Happy new year!

* * *

_**CHAPTER NINE**_

The fire had stopped. I felt fully conscious, not writhing in pain, like I had been for some time. I had felt detached from the world, as if I was only hanging on by the thinnest thread which was threatening to break. It felt like years that the pain had been going on for, and now it had abruptly stopped and a welcome cooling sensation washed over my body.

My eyes snapped open. They were surprisingly acute seeing as they had been shut for so long.

As they went into focus properly, I could make out the glittering face of my Edward. Next to him was a familiar girl with vampish red eyes and a head full of sunny blonde hair – not Rosalie, but an increasingly familiar face. Beside her was a boy with floppy brown hair with a charismatic grin and a charming face – but not charming enough to rival Edward's. They were all people I knew, but my memory evaded me for a few moments.

"Bella?" the girl whispered tentatively, as if she had been sick with worry whilst I had been plunged into that fiery feeling which overtook me.

It suddenly clicked.

Lizzie and Jonas.

I focussed on their faces, but I was instantaneously drawn to their eyes, them now being the most prominent features of their faces. Although still slightly red, they were more burgundy now, with gold specks littering them mesmerizingly. The sign that they weren't rampant newborns any more, and were settling admirably.

I sat up, finding myself on a white sofa, surrounded by various white and silver cushions. It was an ethereal world, like I was in heaven. As I touched upon this thought, I remembered involuntarily that head of fire bearing fangs at me. This made me want to scream again, but I felt so tranquil, so serene that I physically couldn't do it.

Lizzie hugged me tightly, and Jonas smiled again. Edward was utterly speechless. I didn't expect much else from him. He soundlessly signalled for them to leave, and he sat beside me.

"Edward, am I dead?" I asked, lifting my hand to touch his ice-cold face. He flinched at my touch, but not as if he was repulsed, more out of shock.

"Well, no, you're actually a vampire now." His voice was monotonous.

"Really?" I said, fascinated. I had wanted to be one for so long...

He handed me a silver mirror. I looked in it, handling the fragile piece delicately. I looked like a different person. My green eyes had turned an alarming, dangerous shade of red. My skin glowed like pure gold with the light streaming in through the large glass windows.

I looked at Edward – his face was apprehensive.

"Don't you like me anymore?" I asked anxiously.

"I could _never_ stop loving you."

He kissed me passionately.

I broke away. "We can be with each other eternally now."

He smiled my favourite crooked smile. "My sentiments exactly."

We continued.

_

* * *

_

I hope you liked that - please review and thanks for reading!

:) x Lily Orange x (:


End file.
